How to Make Comparisons

⊙ By Jesse Hunter

How to Make Comparisons

⊙ By Jesse Hunter

怎樣用英語把不同的事物進行比較，這是高中必須掌握的重點之一。事實上，比較并不只是比較級這么簡單，我們來看看各種不同的表達方式吧。建議你結合本期《決勝考場》中關于聽說訓練技巧的具體做法學習本文，這樣會有更多的收獲哦。

Part1 A Tale of Two Cities 雙城記

Dalton: Miranda, is that you?

Miranda: Dalton! I don’t believe it! What are you doing in the States?

Dalton: I could ask you the same thing.

Miranda: Oh, my husband and I moved here to New York City years ago. What about you? Are you still working for that radio station in Guangzhou?

Dalton: Yep, still at it. But I always wanted to visit the Big Apple. So I took some time off from work to come here and see it for myself.

Miranda: That’s awesome. So, in that case, let me welcome you to The City That Never Sleeps! How do you think it measures up to[夠得上]the City of Flowers?

Dalton: Oh, it’s OK. I mean I like it here, although the big GZ will always be better in my heart.

Miranda: That’s what I used to think. And when I first arrived in New York, I was not all that impressed. While I was excited to see this “new world,” I was particularly put off[使反感]by the poor quality of the city’s transportation network. Am I right?

Dalton: You hit the nail on the head. I was shocked at how old and dirty the airports andsubways are. It’s much worse than in China.

Miranda: Yes, they’ve fallen into disrepair[失修]. But don’t forget, Guangzhou Metro[地鐵]is just over a decade old, while NYC’s Metro North is closer to a century. And the New York streets are so old that it would be hard to create a more convenient bus system, such as Guangzhou’s BRT line.

Dalton: I did love taking the ferry across the Hudson River yesterday, to see the Statue of Liberty. And there were far fewer people than on the Guangzhou ferries.

Miranda: Lady Liberty is certainly a must-see. And buildings like The Empire State and Chrysler are also tourist favorites.

Dalton: Did you ever get a chance to visit the top of Canton Tower before you left Guangzhou?

Miranda: No, unfortunately I never got around to it.

Dalton: Aw, that’s a shame. I think I liked that tower even better than the Empire State Building, because there are way more things to see. Like all those cool rotating[旋轉的]booths at the very top, which give you this amazing view of the Guangzhou skyline.

Miranda: I remember thinking that I would miss Guangzhou food most of all. But it’s actually been the opposite. I do still love Cantonese food, but New York literally has a different kind of cuisine everywhere you look. And it’s not just a better variety, this city is such a melting pot of different cultures, so you get an incredible fusion[混搭]of tastes, combining the foods of different cultures.

Dalton: Yeah, and don’t forget about the pizza!

Miranda: Oh my goodness[哎呀], how could I forget the pizza!

Dalton: I always thought Pizza Hut and Papa Johns were the best pizza joints[小店]. Boy, was I wrong… The crust[酥皮]here is so thin, and the cheese is so stretchy[有彈性的].

Miranda: Just remember to dab[輕拭]your enormous slice of New York pizza with a handful of napkins before you fold it up and eat it, because of all the grease[油脂]…

習語學習

● I could ask you the same thing 我正想問你（這個問題）呢

大多數英語學習者可能會用I want to ask you the same thing來表示相同的意思，但這個對話中的表達更為婉轉。原來，我們非常熟悉的can的過去形式could可以表達愿望，是“想要，真想”的意思，如：I could go with you to the movie. （我真的想跟你一起去看電影。）

● You hit the nail on the head 正中要害，說得好

這是一個英語口語的常用習語，其含義十分形象，正是從生活中錘子正好打在釘頭上的效果引申而來，指話說到點子上，擊中要害，如：Your comments on the performance really hit the nail on the head. （你關于那場演出的意見真是一針見血。）

Part2 From High School to College 回憶高中歲月

Jack: Whew! The first semester final exams are finally a thing of the past. But I think those late night study sessions[課時]really paid off.

Diane: Tell me about it! These first few months of college have been way harder than high school.

Jack: It’s true. I can’t even remember a time when I had to study so hard.

Diane: Except for those weeks and months leading up to the National College Entrance Exam.

Jack: Of course! That goes without saying. But while I love being in college, I still miss high school sometimes.

Diane: I do too. Especially having our parents around all the time.

Jack: Really? That’s one of the few things I actually don’t miss. Although I do miss my family, of course, I like it much better now.

Diane: How come?

Jack: Now I can sit in my dorm room playing computer games for more than an hour at a time. Mom and dad would never let me play any longer than that.

Diane: I used to feel like I wanted some space away from them, but now I miss the little things more than ever, like my parents’ constant reminders about important stuff I need to do.

Jack: You mean you actually miss their nagging[嘮叨]?

Diane: I miss a lot of things. I miss my old friends. While I had this whole support group back home, I haven’t been able to make any friends here. And the girls who I room with are not the ideal bunkmates[同鋪的人], with their loud music and incessant[不間斷的]chit chatting[閑聊]. It’s so difficult to get my studying done, and my grades have suffered as a result.

Jack: But here at college we have access to a far superior library, and a much faster Internet connection too.

Diane: Ugh, you and your games again.

Jack: Um, a faster Internet is not just for gaming. You can stream movies and shows without any issues.

Diane: Whatever. But you have to admit that nothing compares to your own family’s home cooking. Am I right?

Jack: You’ve got me there. I think I miss my Grandma’s steamed meat buns most of all. The ones around here just aren’t the same. They’re way too chewy[耐嚼的]!

Diane: Yeah, and for me it’s my mom’s rice porridge. The porridge here has fewer spices, and isn’t made with love.

Jack: Although one really awesome thing about being in college, compared to high school, is all the opportunities to broaden your horizons[眼界], with internships[實習機會]and work-study programs, interest groups, clubs, intramural[校內的]sports and other activities.

Diane: That’s right. And it would probably do us a whole lot of good to get out there and take advantage of these great opportunities before it’s too late.

Jack: Eh, what’s the rush? We’ve got three and a half more years left, right?

Diane: That sounds like simple procrastination[拖延]to me. Did you learn nothing in high school?

Jack: Well, apparently, not enough.

口語學習

● Tell me about it：這句話并不是“告訴我吧”的意思，而是表達對他人剛才的話表示贊同，甚至同情。

● That goes without saying：這句話是“不用說，顯而易見”的意思，在口語中很常用，通常用以表示說話者贊同他人剛才的話。

● You got me there：在這個表達中，動詞get的意思是“駁倒”。雙方在討論問題時，一方用You got me there承認對方有道理，被對方駁倒了。副詞there在這里并沒有具體意思，只起加強語氣的作用，也可省去。當然，表達中的人稱代詞是可以視具體情況變化的，如：I think he got her.

進行比較的常見用法

在生活中，可比較的人或事范圍很廣，可以是具體的比較，如事物的大小、高低、好壞等，又如客觀事件的比較，也可以是抽象的比較，如人在感覺上、情感上的比較，因此，在表達方式上也有許多不同。

● 形容詞或副詞的比較級：這是一種最直接的方法，幾乎適用于所有情況，但表達比較單一，如這兩段對話中的far fewer people than…、way more things to see、way harder than…、a far superior library、a much faster Internet connection等。

● 主觀看法：通過表達個人主觀看法的方式進行比較，如這兩段對話中的I like that tower even better than…、I like it much better等。

● 短語表達：通過一些作比較時常用的短語進行比較, 如這兩段對話中的compared to…。

● While的用法：如相比較的人或事不適合用簡單的形容詞或副詞比較級，而需要作具體敘述時，一個包含了while從句的復合句會更合適，這樣還可以避免重復用比較級這種簡單的方式，如這兩段對話中的Guangzhou Metro is just over a decade old, while NYC’s Metro North is closer to a century、while I love being in college, I still miss high school sometimes和While I had this whole support group back home, I haven’t been able to make any friends here等。

● Although的用法：這個表達方式與while的情況很相似，但要注意的是，這時主句與從句之間的比較通常是對立的，如這兩段對話中的I like it here, although the big GZ will always be better in my heart和Although I do miss my family, of course, I like it much better now等。